Prepping For the First Job Interview

No matter how senior you are in your career, an interview always gives you blues; especially if you are in a situation where you need to change the job. Given that, we can easily assume that for a fresher attending an interview for his first job Interview gives the biggest blues. Moreover, the first job is crucial to take your career in the right path.

Before any interview, you should have the belief that you are the best bet for the job being offered. You have to believe that you can do the job better than anybody else who is applying for the same job. Once you are confident, the right answers, the right gestures will come to you on your own. There was a period in my life where I couldn’t convert any of the interviews I attended. I was worried about another interview which was scheduled, and my friend asked me why I should be worried as my resume is much stronger and more suitable for the job than anyone else. I went with the same belief to the interview, and I got the job with a coveted private equity firm. On hindsight, my resume was not very different from others who had applied for the same job. It was my belief that I am better which helped me get the job. Since then I have never walked out of an interview without a job.

One thing which can win over any panel member is a passion for the segment in which the prospective employer operates. I remember being asked in an interview, why I wanted to join this organization rather than accepting an offer I had from a better paying company which works in the same field. My answer was I just love what the company does, and I spent most of my time reading and tracking what is happening in online space. That answer got me the job.

Another important aspect is to gauge the person who is taking your interview rightly. There is no one size fits all solution for interviews. Your approach should differ from person to person. You should be able to judge that in first three minutes of the interview. Honest individuals while being very open about their plans might land up in trouble with some employers. Both, interviewer and the interviewee tend to demonstrate their expertise.

But you can’t put all the advice into practice without preparation. Getting the right practice at the right time is very critical. It is equally important to be able to track your performance across interviews and take necessary steps to improve aspects where you are lacking. Feedback from the right people is also essential. The best place to get feedback from is an alumnus from same industry or organization. I know that you will be wondering how will this be possible. Lack of flexibility in terms of time & location for candidate and evaluator is one of the major hindrances in right interview practice.